Pro & Con between life in UK & US

At this point, I'd even welcome a conversation about mixer taps.

Hahaha I actually choked on my tea when I read that.

Since we've moved back onto beaches, what I want from a beach is strong winds (yay kites!), as little people as possible (none on a good day), crashing waves and general windswept wonderfulness.  I'm not into lying about sunbathing or any of that.  Plus sand in your picnic is never fun.

I don't sunbathe at all... !  I learned that from a verrrrry young age 

Swimming, walking, sitting under an umbrella reading a book...
.... in December (when there are very few people)!  Can't wait!!

Hahaha I actually choked on my tea when I read that.

Since we've moved back onto beaches, what I want from a beach is strong winds (yay kites!), as little people as possible (none on a good day), crashing waves and general windswept wonderfulness.  I'm not into lying about sunbathing or any of that.  Plus sand in your picnic is never fun.

But, not matter where you are in the UK, the furthest you can possibly be from the beach is 70 miles All good

pants compared to the ones in California.
We visit the beaches between Santa Barbara and Carmel frequently. On recent visits to our favorite beach in Carmel have been disappointing due to number of dogs running around on the beach. I think we can blame local resident and champion of dog causes, Doris Day for that.
I also don't like the seaweed and all the flies that they attract. I still will go to the beach and keep my mind away from the unpleasant items.
As someone who lives in a crap working class estate and has done since I lived here in an area of NI that ranks as one of the highest in terms of deprivation on the poverty index
 

I feel for you living were you do. It's sounds worst that East LA or Oakland

The definition of a beach means something different to everyone.  I prefer a soft sandy beach compared to a rocky foggy beach for getting a few rays.  I do love the scenic coastline of Devon and Cornwall for different reasons than a sunny beach. 

I recently survived the flooding in Cotswolds and thought the beach had come to my driveway.  I was exceptionally lucky to have sold or shipped most of my possessions a couple of weeks before.  There was almost a metre of water in my lounge and kitchen. It was very nice to know that I was letting the house opposed to owning it.  I even got my security deposit back!  I really felt terrible for my neighbours and was really concerned with helping some of my elderly village folk get fresh water and food.  The older members of the community were less likely to venture out to a shelter.  I also helped patrol the village with the locals at night because the neighbouring village was looted by a group of Pikeys.  It was really impressive to see the community come together and help the ones who really needed it.  I have never seen a tougher bunch of characters than in the village.  Life just got on in days following the floods. 

Even after living through the floods, I would consider moving back someday.  The people and beauty of the region make it a place that would be hard to find elsewhere.  Meanwhile, I look forward to screens on my windows, A/C, exceptional restaurant food, cheap petrol, a new manual trans luxury Euro car for half the price, less rain and service.

I will miss Waitrose, Tesco, exceptional British produce, the country lifestyle, friends, the village pub, historic towns and villages, village cricket, pace of life, NHS, village shop/Mrs. Wilson and red phone boxes.

I like all beaches but I don't like spending lots of time on any beach. Sandy ones are too sandy, and rocky ones are too, well, rocky!

And all that water is sooo wet.  Ya know why that is? Because the seaweed. 
sorry I thought it was funny. At the time. Literally. Obviously I should go now. Quietly.

I feel for you living were you do. It's sounds worst that East LA or Oakland

As someone who lived in area to what Stella is talking about, it is, sir.  Trust me.  A very, very depressing experience, too.

As for pros and cons, I will say this:  NO ONE does plush public toilets like America.  Convenient, well thought out to cater to everyone's needs - families with young children, the disabled, etc., plentiful and usually free.

Oh, they've got diners, too.  Cool ones.  Lots of them.  Open all night.  Many serving excellent food at cheap prices.

Oh, they've got diners, too.  Cool ones.  Lots of them.  Open all night.  Many serving excellent food at cheap prices.

mmmm, diners with pancakes...mmmm. 

You know, I've never really got why everything changed to air blowers a few years ago. I seem to remember being told in primary school that electric hand driers were being installed to save trees (i.e. less paper towel wastage)... but did they not consider the energy consumption levels for electric air blowers?!

This is one of those things where you need to look beyond merely the point of use though.  Against the energy consumed to run the dryers, you need to offset the energy expended in manufacturing, packaging, and transporting paper towels, and in collecting and disposing of them after use.   For example, if electric dryers weren't being used so widely, how much extra fuel would be used just to deliver thousands more rolls of paper towels around the country every day?   

As for pros and cons, I will say this:  NO ONE does plush public toilets like America.  Convenient, well thought out to cater to everyone's needs - families with young children, the disabled, etc., plentiful and usually free.

Maybe that's a regional thing because I could never find a public loo in the US when I needed one! I like that here wherever you park your car, there's bound to be a loo.

This is one of those things where you need to look beyond merely the point of use though.  Against the energy consumed to run the dryers, you need to offset the energy expended in manufacturing, packaging, and transporting paper towels, and in collecting and disposing of them after use.   For example, if electric dryers weren't being used so widely, how much extra fuel would be used just to deliver thousands more rolls of paper towels around the country every day?   

I don't know but surely it equals the same amount of energy i waste by hitting the dryer button 7 million times so I can get enough so-called hot air to actually dry my hands?!! That is, if the darned thing actually works at all. Then I guess you're really saving energy!

I agree with expat. God it was HEAVEN being in the US with a baby and being able to change him anywhere!

Maybe that's a regional thing because I could never find a public loo in the US when I needed one! I like that here wherever you park your car, there's bound to be a loo.

Must be, because the opposite is true for us here.

And yes, I agree, balmer, you really notice it (the loo thing) when you've got young children.

I always have a bandana on me for drying my hands.  Can't be bothered with that air dyer thing. 

Where in the US were you guys changing babies? I always preferred the changing facilities in the UK, you know, private seperate changing rooms and family rooms, not just the koala pull down thing in the middle of the ladies that I was always finding in the US. I told my mom and sis about the some of the baby changing rooms here having disco lights in the ceiling, they thought that was so cool!

I don't know but surely it equals the same amount of energy i waste by hitting the dryer button 7 million times so I can get enough so-called hot air to actually dry my hands?!!

Yeah, some of the timers are set a little on the short side!    Calculating the energy consumed to run the dryer for a certain length of time is easy, but I have no idea about the energy cost for the towels.  I wonder if anyone has ever even tried to work it out?

Where in the US were you guys changing babies? I always preferred the changing facilities in the UK, you know, private seperate changing rooms and family rooms, not just the koala pull down thing in the middle of the ladies that I was always finding in the US. I told my mom and sis about the some of the baby changing rooms here having disco lights in the ceiling, they thought that was so cool!

Never seen that. Where are YOU changing them?

I hate the separate rooms because if I need to go, then I have to go to the changing room and then the ladies loo because with the exception of a fab room at John Lewis that had nursing stalls and all sorts, there are rarely adult loos in the baby changing rooms. And often, there isn't enough room in the adult loo for the stroller.